UAE Focus

JXB’s runway ... longest in the region.

JXB’s runway ... longest in the region.

UAE Focus

JXB completes first runway in record time

01 December 2007

Dubai’s Al Naboodah Contracting created aviation history for the fastest construction of an A380-enabled 4.5-km CAT III runway at Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB) in Jebel Ali, within a record 600-day schedule.

The Dh1 billion ($272 million) runway is the first tender to be fully executed within Dubai World Central – the mammoth 140 sq km urban aviation community, which is centred around JXB.
The runway, designated 12/30 because of its geographic location, will now undergo a period of strenuous tests and trials over the next six to eight months to fulfil its CAT III-C requirements – a precision instrument approach and landing capability with zero metres visibility for aircraft, said a spokesman for the contractor.
JXB’s Dh100 million first passenger terminal, being built by Arabtec/Max Bogl JV – a UAE-German joint venture – catering to low-cost, regional and charter airlines is 40 per cent complete with the finishes and MEP tender due to be awarded before the year end.
“The first terminal will cater to seven million passengers annually and will take a considerable load off Dubai International Airport (DXB) in terms of flights over the next three to four years,” explains Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman, Dubai World Central. “The two mega terminals and the six concourses designed to handle in excess of 120 million passengers annually is currently in the design stage by a team of international architects and technical consultants.
“Taking such huge passenger flows, baggage handling, car parks, check-in counters, security checks, facility management, amenities, flight paths, ground handling, taxiing flows, roads and infrastructure and air traffic control into consideration, has been our first priority in planning the airport. By mid-2008 we will announce the final design of the mega airport terminals.”
Other airport structures being built by Arabtec/Max Bogl JV include the Dh278 million cargo terminal which is 50 per cent complete and the Dh143 million air traffic control (ATC) tower and navigational aids building which is 25 per cent ready. At 92 m, the Middle East’s tallest freestanding ATC tower is 70 per cent ready and due for completion by February next year.
“All our phase one major airport infrastructure projects are on schedule for completion between February and June 2008,” says Al Zaffin. “Our contractors and suppliers, who share our vision to being the largest airport in the world and the best airport project executed globally, are ensuring the efficient completion of each individual contract.”
Other JXB projects include the Dh908 million aprons and associated taxiways contract, which is over 75 per cent complete; the Dh108 million fuel farms tendered to another UAE-German joint venture, Thermo/Amak JV; and the navigational aids package, worth Dh120 million and shared by UK’s Park Air Systems and Thales of France, experts in air traffic control and defence solutions.
Two key contracts worth Dh161 million for emergency services were awarded recently to Convergent Value Engineering, an Abu Dhabi-based metallic installation contracting company, for a total of four fire stations and five police facilities buildings. These services will be exclusively for JXB use.
Through the 18 on-site construction projects over 9,000 workers and staff are helping the mammoth city rise from the desert. That number is expected to increase substantially over the next three years as at least 40 tenders are awarded in coming months.
“Of the 30 tenders already awarded, 20 have been specifically for JXB’s infrastructure and the rest spread over DWC’s real estate and logistics components,” said Abdulla Al Falasi, DWC’s Marketing and corporate communications director.
“The biggest non-JXB tender awarded so far has been the Dubai Logistics City (DLC) headquarters and Office Park buildings worth Dh1.5 billion,” he added.
Tenders for other DWC real estate components will commence soon with staff village accommodation, IT offices, and infrastructure for developers to commence construction. The real estate components include: Residential City, which will offer a combination of freehold and leased quality homes; Commercial City, which will feature hundreds of office tower blocks, and Golf City which will have over 5,000 villas and two 18-hole golf courses.
Once complete, Dubai World Central will create the world’s first truly integrated multi-modal logistics platform with all transportation modes, logistics and value-added services, such as product manufacturing and assembly in a single-bonded free zone environment made up of the airport city components – DLC, JXB and Aviation City, and the adjacent Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone, through a customs-bonded road corridor.




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